Don't spill, 't has cost money!

Düsseldorfer Auktionshaus, from Germany, sells on 4 May 2018 as lot 135 a "Dutch, 17th century" oil on panel estimated at 200 Euro.

They have deciphered the text at the bottom of the panel nearly correctly: instead of "Stort niet/theyt gel´e kost" it should be "Stort niet  / 'theyt gelt´e kost" meaning "Don't spill / 't has cost money".

It is a typical amusing moralistic painting in the tradition of Teniers, but I haven't found another version of this one. it looks as if the farmer spills either money he is paying to the milkmaid, or seed, from his hat, when he is startled by the dog. The milkmaid at the same time is spilling milk from her yoke. She is perhaps carrying grain or seed which she offered to or received from the farmer, or money she received in return for some milk, although the farmer has nothing to carry the milk in. Of course, with a farmer spilling his seed and the milkmaid spilling her milk, there is a small chance that some subtle sexual innuendo is hidden in the painting. Subtlety wasn't always the strongest point of these artists!

The story isn't exactly clear, and the painting is not made by a major artist, but it is an amusing and relatively unusual 17th century work, much more fun to own than the usual second-rate crucifixions or unidentifiable ugly portraits of long-forgotten sitters, and at 200 Euro it is very cheap. Somewhere closer to 700 or 800 Euro seems reasonable.

UPDATE: a reader informed me (correctly) that the work is a copy after (or more likely an original by) Adriaen Van de Venne (I didn't find the exact work this is based on, but multiple others from the same series), and that it sold for a whopping 8000 Euro, or 40 times their and ten times my estimate. Looking again at the picture, I wonder if there is some signature or date on the rock left of the inscription, but the image is too small to make this out. 

UPDATE 2: this painting was sold at Dorotheum in April 2019, as "Attributed to Adriaen Pietersz. van de Venne": estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 Euro, it sold for nearly 14,000 Euro. And they confirmed that there was indeed an inscription on the rock: it was dated 1627! 

"Jacob Boutats" is manner or circle of Jan Brueghel II

Hotel de Ventes de Monte Carlo, in Monaco, sells on 28 April 2018 a "Jacob Boutats" Bird concert, a small (27 by 37 cm) oil on panel estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 Euro.

The RDK lists three other (even smaller) versions of the same composition, but attributes them to "Circle of Jan Brueghel II" (1, 2, 3). Among the six works by Jacob Bouttats they list are no really similar works, but all have Brueghel-like (or Roelant Savery-like) animals in them in scenes from Paradise or Orpheus. I can find one other copy of this work much larger at 64 by 52 cm) which was sold as "Circle of Bouttats" in 1997, but without further indications this seems rather speculative.

This panel was offered at Artcurial in 2013 as "Flemish School, early 17th century, workshop of Jan Brueghel". The estimate seems about right, even though this is a good but not the best copy of this work.

UPDATE: now on 26 September 2019 for sale at Hampel, Germany, with the same estimate and "attributed to Jacob Bouttats".

"Italo-Flemish painter" is copy after Maerten de Vos

Lempertz, from Germany, sells on 16 May 2018 an "Italo-Flemish Master, 16th century" Scenes from the live of the virgin, estimated at 15,000 to 17,000 Euro.

At least two of the three panels, the Flight into Egypt and the meeting with Elizabeth, are copies after engravings by Maerten de Vos. Considering that the prints date to ca. 1598, it may be more likely that the paintings are 17th century than 16th century. The estimate seems a bit optimistic, even though they are fairly good copies and in a nice frame.

UPDATE: unsold, as expected

What's the link between the 1440/50 Lempertz painting and Dirk Bouts?

Lempertz, from Germany, sells on a "Netherlandish Master, ca. 1440/1450" Pieta, a very small (20 by 15 cm) oil on panel estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 Euro.

I already tweeted about this work, but it probably deserves the full blog treatment.

From the period 1440/1450, very few paintings survive, most by masters like Van Eyck and Van der Weyden. Others active then include Hugo Van der Goes and from about 1450 on Dirk Bouts. Contrary to what one might expect, few of those have a gold-painted background, most have some form of landscape, interior, ... unlike Italian or German paintings from the period. Such golden backgrounds seem to be more popular in the later 15th century in Flanders, with people like the Master of the Gold Brocade.

The painting for sale most closely resembles the work of Dirk (Dieric) Bouts and his followers, including two of his sons. The face of Christ and the position of the hands of Mary, with the intertwined fingers, both resemble a Lamentation by Bouts from the Louvre, dated to circa 1460.

Both have Christ as a dead human, not some God in a suspended state. The work for sale takes this even further though, with the grey-blue lips and greyish body colour. The Virgin in that version also isn't some young, beautiful, mourning woman, but an older, grief-stricken mother.

Such realism is not common for depictions of Mary and Jesus, who were gods or godlike, not human like everyone else. The artistic quality though, while certainly not bad, isn't up to par with the composition, so perhaps it is a copy after an older and better work?

The only way I see to place it in 1440/1450 is to see it as the oldest known painting by Dieric Bouts, a somewhat clumsy prototype for his later work like the above Lamentation. In that case, it should be worth a lot (a huge lot even) more than the estimation.

If it is (as is of course more likely) a follower of Bouts, someone like Dirk Bouts II, then the estimate is probably right, but the date is off. by some 40 years at least.

UPDATE: sold for 9,920 Euro, it will be interesting to see if anything further on this work will appear.

"Circle of Master of the Prodigal Son" is copy after Adriaan de Weerdt.

Ader, from France, sells on 4 May 2018 a "Dutch School, ca. 1600, circle of the Master of the Prodigal Son" Ruth and Boaz, estimated at 800 to 1,200 Euro.

The style reminds me more of Frans Floris than of the Master of the Prodigal on, but in the end this is just a decent copy after an engraving by Philips Galle after a design by Adriaan de Weerdt, which is kept in the Albertina in Vienna.

The painting has changed the backgorund though, making it a bit more lively and Flemish (Breugelian) in style. A nice enough painting, and worth the estimate, but nothing more.

"Flemish School" Bacchus: a Jan Van Dalen?

Sotheby's sells on 2 May 2018 in London a "Flemish School, 17th century" Bacchus, estimated at £7,000 to £10,000.

The topic and style remind me of the works by Jan Van Dalen (a painter from Antwerp active ca. 1632-1670). I can find 8 different Bacchus paintings, all of them busts, by Jan Van Dalen online.

The work for sale is e.g. comparable to the above from the Uffizi.

The Laughing Bacchus from the Museum of Budapest is supposed to be a self-portrait.

The above two have perhaps better detail in the anatomy of the body, but the Bacchus from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna is more similar in that regard.

Perhaps the work for sale is a bit less finished, less polished than the accepted Van Dalen works and should be considered a "Circle of" or something similar, but the relation between the work and the artist seems rather obvious anyway.

"Flemish School" is copy after Louis de Caullery

Horta, from Belgium, sells on 23 April 2018 a "Flemish School, 17th century" Bacchus, estimated at 6,000 to 8,000 Euro. It has an old attribution to Frans Francken.

It is a copy after Louis de Caullery, one of hs more common works, the Triumph of Bacchus

It is part of a series of similar works together with the Triumph of Venus and the Triumph of Ceres. The best, probably original version of these works can be seen together in Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen (although I can't find them on the Rosenborg website and had to rely on the RKD for these images).

The estimate is probably a bit high, 3,000 to 4,000 Euro seems more reasonable for a good but far from brilliant copy.

Flemish School, late 16th century: a Pieter Huys?

Hampel, from Germany, sells on 12 April 2018 a "Flemish School, end of 16th century" Allegory of Winter, an oil on panel estimated at 30,000 to 40,000 Euro.

It was previously sold in 2015 at Dogny, in Switzerland, for 4,000 Swiss Francs, so the current estimate is about 10 times higher. It has been restored in the meantime, but even so this is a significant increase in value.

It looks like this may be the work of Pieter Huys (1519-1584), whose main body of work is in the Bosch / Brueghel vein of apocalyptic scenes, but who also has a small body of work of rather caricatural people with heavy emotions.

The painting for sale may even be a counterpart to his "A woman enraged", which was offered at Christie's in 2010 for $100,000 (but didn't sell). The work for sale is 65 by 49 cm, oil on panel: the Woman Enraged was 64,3 by 50,2 cm, or nearly the exact same dimensions. Both are allegorical representations of some sin or folly.

The painting for sale has the typical Huys hands and eyes, and mouths showing teeth. Whether it is by or after Huys is hard to tell though. The estimated value seems high without a more firm attribution to Huys, but it is an interesting work and the previous sale was cheap.

"Flemish School" still life is work by or close to Jacob van Hulsdonck

Mercier, from France, sells on 15 April 2018 a "Flemish School, early 17th century" still life, estimated at a hefty 35,000 to 40,000 Euro. 

It looks to be by or after Jacob van Hulsdonck (1582-1647), an early and important painter of such still lifes. The basket, the plums with their distinctive colour pattern, the pairs of cherries, ... The painting seems to have been cut down at the top and bottom though.

The "basket of plums and cherries" from the Orléans Museum is especially close, and aspects like the two pale plums at the top are nearly identical. It is clear that the work for sale is either by or after van Hulsdonck.

If it is by Van Hulsdonck, it is worth considerably more than the estimate, as his comparable works often go for a few 100,000 Euro instead (although being cut down at the 4 sides will again reduce the price probably).

UPDATE: a reader alerted me to a Christie's 2017 auction where this work was sold as a "Circle of Van Hulsdonck", estimated £5,000 to £8,000, and sold for £8,125. To again sell it a few months later without the correct attribution but for more than 4 times the price takes some guts! The prior sale of course seriously diminishes the chances that this one will fly.

"Follower of Colijn de Coter" is copy after Hugo Van der Goes

Mercier, from France, sells on 15 April 2018 a "Flemish School, second half of the 16th century, follower of Colijn de Coter" Descent from the Cross, estimated at 12,000 to 14,000 Euro.

It actually is a rather poor copy after Hugo Van der Goes, his Descent from the Sint-Janshospitaal in Bruges (or the better version from the Cambrai City Museum, pictured here). This is by far his most often copied work, and one can buy for a similar price a much better version that what is offered here. It isn't even clear that this is actually an old copy and not a 19th century or more recent one. As an old copy, it should be worth 3,000 to 4,000 Euro. As a more recent copy, it is virtually worthless.

Colijn de Coter, slightly younger than Van der Goes, also painted in the same tradition and general Early Netherlandish style, but there is no real link between this work (or this version) and the art of De Coter.

UPDATE: a reader alerted me that I had already tweeted about this work in the past, when it was offered at Hampel last year, with the same estimate, but (of course) failed to sell. It's good to see that sometimes the sellers are smarter than the auction houses :-)

UPDATE: now for sale with art dealer Jean Moust as by an Anonymous Flemish Painter, 2nd half 16th century, priced at 11,600 Euro (costs included), so clearly cheaper than at the two auctions. Still  in my opinion way overpriced, and still no mention of Van der Goes.

UPDATE: price now (30/08/2018) lowered to 10,000 Euro, still a nit above my estimate of 3,000 to 4,000! The description now indicates that it is a copy after Van der Goes, so we're getting there in the end.

"Follower of Artgen van Leyden" is by or after Mechteld toe Boecop (update: no, it isn't...)

Mercier, from France, sells on 15 April 2018 a "Dutch School, late 16th century, follower of Artgen van Leyden" Adoration of the Magi (sic), estimated at 20,000 to 25,000 Euro.

I don't see much likeness with the works of Aertgen van Leyden, and it of course is an Adoration of the Shepherds (or a Nativity) and not an adoration of the magi, but the important question is who the work might then be by.

Looking for similar works at the always reliable RKD, I found the same composition by Mechteld toe Boecop (ca. 1520-1598), dated 1572.  This is an impressively large painting (198 by 172 cm), now in the City Museum of Kampen (Netherlands). The work for sale, while somewhat smaller, still is quite large at 154 by 123 cm. It seems unlikely that two artists would have created this large a work based on the same engraving, and I haven't found an engraving or other work that could form the basis for this, so it seems as if this is an original composition, with a copy or second version.

Mechteld toe Boecop is one of the first important Dutch female painters (excluding illuminators), and her works are very rare. Her 2 daughters also painted, but even less is known about them. The RKD lists three works by her, and three works attributed to her. 4 of these 6 are in museums (all in the Netherlands), two remain in private hands.

The work for sale has a markedly different style to the RKD version, but is much closer in many ways to other works attributed to Boecop. The "Last Supper" from the City Museum in Kampen gives me the impression that it may well be by the same artist as the work for sale.

Details of the work for sale show considerable skill, but this is coupled with less well executed parts. The work is dark and damaged, and may need a professional restoration to make its actual original state clear. I have added the same details from the known work, but I don't have a detailed image of that work sadly.

I have found an article at the Museum Kampen website though, which doesn't show the complete painting but a few details.

As it stands, it probably isn't an original Toe Boecop, but perhaps the work of one of her daughters or another follower? It certainly is very interesting and should probably be researched by an expert in Toe Boecop and her circle. If it is by her or one of her daughters, it would be a major find. Even if it isn't, it is the only copy of this particular work I know off.

The only work by her at auction was a drawing which was (as "attributed to" offered by Sotheby's Amsterdam in 2003, with an estimate of 8,000 to 12,000 Euro. It didn't sell. It then was offered at Saint-Cyr (Drouot) in 2005, as a genuine Toe Boecop, with an estimate of 800 to 1,200 Euro (ot just one tenth of the previous estimate!), and sold for a measly 600 Euro. Which seems like a real bargain, but was before the renewed interest in early female artists really boomed.

UPDATE: a reader alerts me to the website of Jean Moust (dealer in Old Master paintings), where the work was for sale for 28,000 Euro, described as "Unidentifeid Dutch Mannerist painter, ca. 1600".

UPDATE 2: The very helpful and friendly people from the City Museum of Kampen have answered my questions on Twitter, which made it clear that the Adoration (by Toecop, and the one here for sale) are copies after an original by Angelo Bronzino, known in the Netherlands through an engraving by Ghisi from 1554. This explains the same composition but the too dissimilar style. No Artgen van Leyden, no reason to estimate this so expensively. Still, it made me discover and discuss the works of Toe Boecop, who had a lot of talent (her copy after Bronzino is way better than the rather boring one for sale) and determination to make it as a female painter, and to let her daughters do the same. 

"Flemish School / Spanish School, circle of Morales" is copy after Coxcie

The Poitiers auction house, in France, sells on 7 April 2018 a "Flemish School, late 16th century" "Descent of the cross" estimated at  1,000 to 2,000 Euro. Bizarrely, the image has the description "Spanish School of the late 16th century, circle of Morales" instead.

The work is actually a copy of a Michiel Coxcie original which was quite popular in its day. The above original is in the collection of Park Abbey in Heverlee, close to Leuven, Belgium. It of course isn't a "descent of the cross" but "Christ carrying the cross"...

The copy for sale is rather bland, and the estimate is probably right. 

UPDATE: again for sale on 10 September 2018 with a lowered estimate of 500 to 600 Euro, which isn't a lot for this work. 

"Follower of David Vinckboons" is based on Pieter Brueghel II

Mercier, from France, sells on 15 April 2018 a "Flemish School, 17th century, follower of David Vinckboons" Hurdy-gurdy player, estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 Euro.

A hefty price tag for a "follower of", but it has a monogram DVB...

More importantly, the work is largely based on a Pieter Brueghel II from the Noordbrabants Museum in the Netherlands.

The hurdy-gurdy players are similar, but not identical.

Other elements though, like the old woman in the upper left corner, are almost identical. Some aspects are reversed and mixed up a bit.

An identical work, this time attributed directly to Vinckboons, was for sale at Christie's in 2012. It sold for £16,000. The estimate for the current one seems a bit inflated, but Breughelian works remain popular with buyers.

UPDATE: again for sale, now at Dorotheum, on 23 October 2018, estimated at 20,000 to 30,000 Euro. They mention "signed with monogram BVB..." which is strange of course, as it is a DVB (they mention David Vinckboons in the description).

UPDATE 2: sold for 27,500 Euro.

Another version sold at Sotheby's in October 2018 for £81,000. And a better version is for sale at Christie's (lot 24) on 6 December 2018, with an estimate of 290,000 Euro!